Throttle control



Oct. 13, 1953 Filed Oct. 28, 1950 c. w. FlNKL 2,655,051

THROTTLE CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

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(it 13, 1953 c, w, FlNKL 2,655,051

THROTTLE CONTROL Filed Oct. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THROTTLE CONTROLCharles W. Finkl, Evanston, 111.

Application October .28, 1950, Serial No. 192,754

6 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a throttle control an moreparticularly to an improvement in an automatically closing hand-operatedthrottle control for internal combustion engines.

} The invention as shown in the accompanying drawings is particularlyadapted for use with internal combustion engines associated with boatsand more particularly with engines on outboard motor boats. However, itwill be understood that this throttle control could be used, Withoutdeparting from the inventive conceptions thereof, in conjunction withany one of several other types of engines having manually controlledthrottles. It is an object of this invention to provide a throttlecontrol which under normal operating conditions will automatically closethe throttle associated therewith when the operator removes his handfrom the control.

It is another object of this invention to provide a throttle controlhaving a throttle lever with It is a further object of this invention toprovide a throttle control which may be mounted on either side of theoperator in a condition to be operable in either position withoutalteration or adjustment of any of the parts thereof or the method ofoperation thereof.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a throttle whichis reversible so that the throttle control may be operable to manipulateany throttle regardless of the direction of opening thereof, whilemounted on either side of the operator.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromconsideration of the following specification, claims, and drawings, ofwhich there are two sheets in which like reference characters are usedto designate like parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an outboard motor boat hull andmotor showing the invention as associated therewith;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention as shownin Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a portion of the invention asshown in Figure 2; I

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 with a 2 portion of the inventioncut away to reveal the internal parts thereof;

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevational view oi a portion of theinvention shown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevational view or a portion of theinvention;

Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of theinvention.

Illustrated in Figure l is a speed boat outfit comprising a hull 2, anoutboard engine 4, a throttle control (indicated generally at 6), athrottle member 8 associated with engine 4, and a Bowden mechanism wire[0 connecting throttle control 6 with throttle lever B.

The throttle control 6 is comprised of a body casing 12 having agenerally upstanding handle portion l4 and a hollow portion [6 (seeFigure 4). Casing I2 is provided with a ratchet 29 formed in an arearound the centers of aligned apertures 26 which are formed in the lowerportion of casing l2 and extend through the outside walls thereof thatinclose hollow portion Hi there-- of. Rotatable lever I8 is positionedwithin hollow portion I6 of casing 12 and is provided with an aperture.22 (see Figure 6) in the lower end thereof. Lever l B is mounted withincasing I2 by stud 4W, which is positioned within apertures of casing l2and aperture 22 in the lower end of lever I8. Lever I8 is provided witha transverse enlarged lower portion 30 of a width slightly less than thewidth of hollow portion it of casing l2 so that portion 39 will fitsnugly within casing 12. A hairpin-like torque spring 15, having itsapex telescopically positioned around portion 30, is provided toconstantly tend to rotate lever l8 in a counterclockwise direction, asshown in Figures l and 4, having one of its ends bearing against leverI8 and its other end bearing against one of the internal Walls of casingl2. Lever I3 is further provided with a cut-out finger portion 38 formedin the rearward edge thereof. Blind hole 36 is formed in the rearwardedge of lever I8 near the center of portion 38. Below portion 38 arectangular aperture is provided through lever I8 from front to back andaligned internally threaded apertures 34 are formed transverse to andconnecting with aperture 32.

Trigger-like lever 52 is mounted on lever i5 3. Lever 4'2 is providedwith complementary spaced forwardly extending portions bent at rightangles to the rearwardly presented portion thereof and portions 55 areprovided With aligned transverse apertures 512 remote from portion lit.Lever A2 is carried on cylindrical member 56 (Figure '7) which isexternally and internally threaded and extends through aperture 34 inlever I8 and through the apertures 52 formed in lever 42. Member 55 isprovided with notches 58 in the ends thereof for making the member morereadily manipulated by tools such as a screw driver or similar tools.Further, member 56 is provided with a through aperture 68 extendingthrough the walls thereof near the longitudinal center thereof. Acompression spring 54 is positioned in blind hole 35 of lever [73 andbears against the back side of finger portion 48 of lever 42 to tend torotate lever 42 in a counter-clockwise direction at all times, as shownin Figures 4 and 5. The rearward portion 44 of lever 62 is shapedhorseshoe-like, having a cut out portion '43, and is provided withledge-like upper edges 45 on either side of upstanding neck portion 25,which extends between portion 44 and finger portion 38 of lever :32.Edges d5 of lever 62 are of such a distance from the center of apertures52 thereof and said center is of such a distance from ratchets of casingii that the edges will move within the arc defined by the lower tips ofratchet members 252 when lever 42 is rotated in a clockwise direction asshown in Figure 4. In this position edges: do will contact ratchets 28when lever I5 is permitted to move slightly in a counter-clockwisedirection and such contact between edges and ratchets 28 will preventfurther rotation of lever ill by spring it and thus the throttle leverit will be held in a constant position. Whenever lever is is moved in aclocl wise direction spring 5Q will rotate lever E2 in acounter-clockwise direction and thus move edges n"; of lever &2 outsidethe arc defined by the lower tips of ratchets 29 and thus spri. g "5'3will be free to move lever It in a counter-clockwise direction. In otherwords, whenever the operator wishes to look lever in a selected positionhe merely presses on portion d8 of lever 32 to move edges thereof intoengagement with ratchets and such engagement is automatically releasedwhen lever !8 is moved slightly in a clockwise direction to permitspring 5% to rotate lever 52 in a counter-clockwise direction. It willbe noted that handle it and lever i8 form a. pistollike grip for theoperator, making it very easy for the operator to mani ulate lever 32with the little finger of the hand operating the throttle.

Casing i2 is provided forwardly and rearwardly with substantiallyhorizontal apertures the centers of which are in alignment with thecenter of cylindrical member Casing i2 is further provided withapertures 52 leading into apertures (iii. The outside sheath t l of theBowden mechanism wire it is positioned within either of the apertures Stand a set screw (not shown) is turned into the internally threadedaperture adjacent the sheath. 66 into engagement therewith to secure thesheath within the aperture 68. The Bowden wire is then extended into theportion l6 of casing 52 and the end is pushed into aperture GS ofcylinder member 55 and a set screw is turned into the threaded interiorof member 56 against wire to secure same therein. Thus an operatingconnection is formed between Bowden wire mechanism it and lever 53. Itwill be understood that Bowden wire mechanism l6 may be secured tothrottle control 5 through either aperture and thus the wire 65 may beoperated either forwardly or rearwardly to operate a throttle lever suchas lever 8 correctly regardless of whether lever 8 operates in aclockwise or counterclockwise direction. This is a very importantfeature inasmuch as the throttle levers of various makes of enginesrotate in both a. clockwise and counter-clockwise direction.

Casing I2 is further provided with transverse apertures 28 through whichare positioned screws or similar fastening means for attaching throttle6 to the hull of a boat or to the body of any other vehicle to whichthis throttle control may be adapted. Casing I2 is further provided withaligned apertures 24 in the side walls of casing 12 having upper andlower sides defining parallel ares around the center of alignedapertures 26 of body casing [2. These apertures are provided so that theset screw positioned in the center of cylindrical member 56 and thecylindrical member 56 are readily accessible for securing Bowden wire tolever it without removing lever I8 from casing I2. Further, casing 12and the associated mechanisms are formed perfectly fiat on either sideso that either side may be positioned adjacent the member to which thethrottle control is attached. Thus it will be seen that throttle control6 may be positioned as shown in Figures 2 and 4 or may be reversed sothat lever 18 is in the position that handle M is shown and handle Mwill then be in the position that lever I8' is shown. This is providedso that the throttle may be mounted to the right of the operator and theBowden wire 66 may be pulled forwardly when lever 18 is moved towardhandle [4 (This would be the case if the throttle control shown inFigure 2 were mounted in the position it is shown in Figure 2 inrelation to Figure 1.) and if the throttle control 6 is reversed theBowden wire 66 may be moved rearwardly when lever i8 is pulled in thatdirection toward handle 24. It will be readily understood that the sametype of operation is possible when the lever is mounted to the left ofthe operator.

While I have described my invention in considerable detail, I intendthis description to be an example only and not a limitation upon myinvention, to which I make the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a control mechanism, a fiat sided casing, an opening in saidcasing, an upstanding handle portion formed on said casing, a rotatablelever mounted in said opening movable to and from said handle portion, aresilient member constantly urging so id lever away from said handleportion, connection means for securing a Bowden mechanism wire to saidlever from a plurality of directions, a ratchet formed in said opening,and a latch mechanism carried by said lever and co-acting with saidratchet.

2. In control mechanism, a casing having either side thereof in a fiatcondition, a support means for receiving either side of said casing, adownwardly extending opening formed in said casing, an upstanding handleportion formed on said casing, a lever having one of its ends rotatablymounted near the bottom of said opening and movable within said openingto and from said handle portion, a ratchet formed in said opening, and arotatable latch mechanism carried by said lever and designed toselectively engage said ratchet.

3. In a control mechanism, a casing having both of its sides in a flatcondition, a downwardly extending opening in said casing, an upstandinghandle portion formed adjacent one end of said opening, a leverrotatably mounted at its one end in the lower portion of said openingand movable to and from said handle portion, a resilient memberconstantly urging said lever away from said handle portion, a ratchetformed in said opening, a latch member rotatably carried by said leverand designed to selectively engage the ratchet, connection means forsecuring a Bowden mechanism wire to the lever from forward or rearwardthereof and adjacent the latch, and a resilient member constantly urgingthe latch out of engagement with the ratchet.

4. In a control mechanism, a flat-sided casing, an opening extendingdownwardly in said casing, an upstanding handle portion formed on saidcasing adjacent one end of said opening, a lever rotatably mounted atits one end in the lower portion of said opening and movable to and fromsaid handle portion, a resilient member constantly urging the lever awayfrom the handle portion, a ratchet formed in the opening, a latchrotatably carried by the lever and designed to selectively engage theratchet, a connection means associated with the lever for rotatablycarrying the latch and for securing a Bowden mechanism wire to the leverfrom a plurality of directions, and a second resilient member constantlyurging the latch out of engagement with the ratchet.

5. In a control mechanism, a. fiat-sided casing designed to be mountedwith either such side adjacent a flat support, an opening extendingdownwardly through said casing, an upstanding handle portion formed onsaid opening, a substantially upstanding lever rotatably connected tosaid casing adjacent its lower end and movable to and from said handleportion, a resilient member constantly urging the lever away from thehandle portion, ratchet members formed inside the casing adjacent eitherside of the lever, a rotatable lat-ch carried by the lever andselectively engageable with the ratchet members, a second resilientmember positioned between the lever and a portion of the latchconstantly urging the latch out of engagement with the ratchet members,and a connection mechanism for rotatably carrying the latch and forsecuring a Bowden mechanism wire to the lever from a plurality ofdirections.

6. In a control mechanism, a flat-sided casing having an openingextending from top to bottom thereof, an upstanding handle portionformed adjacent one end of said casing, a lever rotatably mounted at itslower end to the casing adjacent the bottom of the opening therein andmovable to and from the handle portion, ratchet members formed in thecasing adjacent the top of the opening and on either side thereof, aresilient member constantly urging the lever away from the handleportion, a latch mechanism rotatably carried on the lever adjacent theratchet members and selectively engageable therewith, a second resilientmember positioned between the lever and a portion of the latch andconstantly urging said latch out of engagement with the ratchet member,and a connection mechanism securing the latch to the lever andconnecting a Bowden mechanism wire either to the side of the lever fromthe direction of the handle portion or from the direction of the side ofthe lever remote from that side adjacent the handle portion.

CHARLES W. FINKL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 332,434 Pinard Dec. 15, 1885 1,212,528 McCrerey Jan. 16, 19171,477,138 Loock Dec. 11, 1923 2,467,485 Kreig Apr. 19, 1949 2,533,836Patterson Dec. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 175,847Switzerland Mar. 15, 1935

